Wednesday, April 26, 2006
11:22 PM
"Then came the blessed relief. He suddenly realised that he did not know what he could do. He almost laughed with joy. All this horror had been premature. No definite task was before him. All that was being demanded of him was a general and preliminary resolution to oppose the Enemy in any mode which circumstances might show to be desirable: in fact - and he flew back to the comforting words as a child flies back to its mother's arms - 'to do his best' - or rather, to go on doing his best, for he had already been doing it all along. "What bugbears we make of things unecessarily!" he murmured, settling himself in a slightly more comfortable position. A mild flood of what appeared to him to be more cheerful and rational piety rose and engulfed him." (Chapter Eleven)
All those booklets that proselytising Christians hand out to people on the streets often, apart from trying to expound the message of salvation through Christ (complete with the funny cryptic diagrams), also says that in a Christian life, God is in the driving seat. It speaks of a paradigm shift in our worldview of religion; Christ is not our tool to our own personal endeavours, rather, we are to be Christ's tool for His divine plans. So, we are to seek His will and to obey His commands.
However, this posed an immediate problem for me when I first became a Christian back then: so how am I to know what is the correct thing to do, especially when the dilemmas I faced were not so clear-cut? Like for example, what course should I take for university? Should I accept the scholarship even though they did not allow me to take the course I had initially wanted? Should I continue to be so active for Dunman High Chinese Orchestra?
And then, of course, a tougher one: should I continue to go to church behind my father's back, and in the process, inevitably lie to him about my whereabouts when he asks? A Christian is called to fellowship regularly (Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, Hebrews 10:25), which in today's context would mean going to church every Sunday. And yet, we are also told to "Honor (my) father and (my) mother, so that (I) may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12). So when your father tells to you obey his order not to go to church, or have anything to do with anyone from church, or else... you are, to say the least, stuck.
Especially when the 'or else' really refers to disownment.
Nevertheless, the answer is actually really quite simple and obvious. Obey both commands from the bible. Go to church, admit it and then... well... face the music. That's what happened to all the martyrs during the ages of persecution: they worshipped God, breaking the law, and then did not deny the charges, thereby accepting an often gruesome and cruel death. Daniel's story also comes to mind, except, he and his friends didn't die in that furnace.
God's will on many things is often very clear and leaves very little room for doubt. What usually gets in the way is our own fear of the price we have to pay. For in reality, honesty and righteousness are not rewarded terrestrially. Just look back at our NSF lives. The hardworking and honest ones get rewarded with more work and responsibilities whilst the lazy and irresponsible ones are punished with the dishonour of not being trusted to do any work at all.
So we come up with excuses and lines like 'I'm not getting a clear sign... if only God would tell me in a clear audible voice what to do, I'd do it without hesitation'.
What God really wants, is the decision to go to church every single week regardless of the consequences I will have to face, for a solitary Christian is usually not a Christian for very long, to convict myself to curb my ruinous addiction to gaming (not that DotA is inherently bad, but that it is to me, what 'just one pint' is to the alcoholic), to endeavour to flee from all temptations so that I can be a more 'holy' (and probably also 'boring' and 'unpopular') person; 'a general and preliminary resolution to oppose the Enemy in any mode which circumstances might show to be desirable'.
And until we can follow some of His more simple and intuitive commands like the ones listed above with reliable consistency, then will He start to whisper audibly in our ears difficult and counter-intuitive commands that has turned so many lives upside down.
...
So anybody got a spare room?
Comments:
(
3 comment)
I dun quite fathom that part abt gaming... Then again, it's your religion.
Anyway- take care! Good luck! And as I said- er-hem- am gg to speak in 'tongues' a bit here for obvious reasons.
I recieved an sms from he-who-said-HE-may have sumthg on... Read stuff on my den lah... How? I shall be out of the country for a few days- can help to settle or not? cos if HE doesnt go- damn it- got nthg to do liao u noe... Arghhhh!
Thanks
Meanwhile, take care!
Love,
Jan
Anyway- take care! Good luck! And as I said- er-hem- am gg to speak in 'tongues' a bit here for obvious reasons.
I recieved an sms from he-who-said-HE-may have sumthg on... Read stuff on my den lah... How? I shall be out of the country for a few days- can help to settle or not? cos if HE doesnt go- damn it- got nthg to do liao u noe... Arghhhh!
Thanks
Meanwhile, take care!
Love,
Jan
# posted by 
: 7:14 AM
: 7:14 AM
Wow if that were tongues I might just be able to so some interpretations. Haha.. Anyways, something doesn't feel right while I was reading this entry man... Is everything at home alright ZC?
- WB
- WB
# posted by : 2:39 AM
: 2:39 AM
Your father wishes to restrict your Christian freedom? That's surprising. It changes my interpretation of your character entirely. In simple words I guess you're saying "stick to what you believe in". I agree to that philosophy. Problems within a family are deeply unsettling for anyone. At least do not shun them as I have and have faith.
Post a Comment
# posted by : 8:22 PM
: 8:22 PM